The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-02-04

terms with the peddler, and be-
cause | had the next room 10 him.
When they came 90 search me they
found my E25, and among the bills
were the three l had exchanged for.
CHriOusly enough, they had been
paid him by y farmer only two miles
distant, and hc was at the inu aud
| Identified them. did not explain
how | came by them, aud both the
host aud myself seemed 10 forget
lalI about tho sulleu stranger. |
WAS 50 ratified that all could do
was to sned tears allsl ask them 70
take me to my aunt aud send Tor
my fatlIeT. They must have seen
how green was, and how badly |
was overcome, but a murder had
been committed, and some one
must be convicted of it. Some
were so bold as to declare that |
was playing oft stupid, aud no one
seemed to think there could be a
doubt that / was guilty.
| was hustled to Jail in y dazed
condition, and it was not until the
next day that recovered anything
like cOolness. Then sent tor my
aunt, and as soon as sue arrived
We obtained counsel, but tue pre-.
liminary examination was over be
tore my father arrived, aud l had
been held to the higher court.
There were two things that looked
bad against me. One was the bills
which had changed with the ped
dIer, and tho other was tue finding
of blood on my coat sleeve. There
were fifteen or twenty drops whlch
had soaked into the cloth aud how
they came there l could never
make out The peddler had been
stabbed to the heart as he lay on
his back, aud of course they declar'
ed that the blood had spurted on
my sleeve as struck the blow.
They expected to and the knifo on
me, but that they did not made no
Difference in their opinion OF my
guilt. Neither.ssmy father, aant,
counsel, nor any OF my acqualnt
ances believed me guilty, but tue
only way to prove my innocence
was too convict some one else. we
sent to London for a detective, aud
he, OF course began to work on the
theory that the: surly stranger was
the murderer. Tue country was
secured, but the fellow seemed 10
have left, and not the slightest
clew to his identity could be obtain.
ed. The day of my trial was rapid.
lv approaching when the first dis
covery WAS made. The knife with
which the murder was committed
Was discovered in the room which
the stranger had occupied. lie
hadlehung it behind wardrobe.
While we knew that it WAS his
knife, the prosecution would OF
course argue that IL was my knlle.
No one had ever seen me with such
a weapon, bur there was no defence
for me.
The case came to trial at lengtb,
and / was hOrritied at the strength
which the prosecution developed.
The sOciabllity between the ped
dler and myself was made out to
have been a plot On my part to put
him off bis guard. My departure
at an early morning hour was an
other sign OF guilt. The host re
uembpred that | seemed nervous
and i'll at case, and two or three
persons sho net me ON the road
within two or three miles of the
river testified that l appeared te be
in great hurry, aud frequently
looked back. All this was non
sense, as | have told you, bur that's
what was sworn to, and it had its
weight with the jury. The worst
poiut against me was piece OF de.
liberate aud uncalled-fOr perjury,
aud | have meyer been able to tath-
om the young mans motive, unless
it was to mix himself in the case
aud become u sort of Il hero. lie
swore that l rested under "a tree
about two miles from tue inn-thls
Was as | was approaching it IRON
Stafford-aIfd he from the other
side OF Il hedge, saw me take out
the murderous kuite and strop 1t on
my shoe. He swOre to this point
blank, and yet l did not even halt
at that spot.
When the defence opened, l was
somewhat encouraged. We could
prove my good character, my right
ful possession OF the E25, aud the
purpose of my journey. My coun-
sol made a point in my faver by
showing that kept TO the highway,
had travelled at moderate pace,
aud acted rs an innocent man
would have done. He challenged
the prosecution to produce u case
where y boy OF my age, brought up
as l had been, had become "A muir
derer for The sake OF possessing a
tew pounds, OF which he stood ia
no need.
Well, sir, the case went to the
Jury, aud in an hOur they brought
| in a verdict OF guilty. The testinIO-
ny OF the perjarer, the bank notes,
the blood on my sleeve, these were
conclusive bits of evidence to the
Jury. The verdict bad only just
been announced when a messenger
spoke to the Judge on the bench,
aud pretty sO0u there was coni-
motion iu court. Our detectife
had habbed the surly stranger 10 a
tavern in Liverpool. The fellow
] - 80. - 81. ........ra and fhara.